Over the last few years pet owners have been subjected to many scary, and oftentimes health threatening dog food recalls. Unfortunately, pet food recalls are hard to predict and a company that appears to manufacturer good quality food could find that a batch or two of their food is unsatisfactory, and perhaps even tainted at some point. For this reason it’s important to keep up to date on any current pet food recalls in order to best protect your pet from the harmful effects of tainted food. The best way to keep yourself up to date on such recalls is to visit the pet section of the FDA’s website and sign up for their recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts emails.

Also, you’ll certainly want to keep an eye on your dog’s general overall health, and if you notice anything out of the ordinary such as lack of appetite, loose stools/diarrhea, vomiting or lethargy consult a veterinary professional immediately. Even if you are low on funds, a phone call costs nothing and a veterinarian can let you know if there is cause for alarm. If you are concerned that there is something wrong with a batch of your pet’s food, you should also call the manufacturer and inquire whether or not others are reporting the same or similar issues. Furthermore, a quick Google search will often indicate whether other dog owners are also experiencing issues with the same brand of food, or if your dog may be suffering symptoms from another cause.

Unfortunately, there are likely to be many more dog food recalls in the future, and just like with human food recalls they should be taken seriously as they directly effect the health of your dog.